Sunday, January 25, 2009

I hesitate to publish such a simple recipe--it doesn't take a genius to make this stuff--but I get regular comments from people saying, "You make your own syrup???" in the same tone as if they'd seen me knitting a sleeping bag.

All you have to do is get the maple flavoring, which should be carried in the spice section of the grocery store, and you're on your way to pancakey goodness.

If you're interested in cutting pennies here and there making your own syrup not only tastes better it saves money. Ditto for homemade pancakes (I'm throwing that recipe in at the bottom for good measure).

Mix all the ingredients together and whisk them until nearly all the lumps are gone (but leave a few, that's not a bad thing to have a lump or two in your batter). Then pour on greased skillet and cook just as you would expect to do for pancakes.

My mom always made our syrup too, which makes me now hate the store-bought stuff, so I make it. I remember hearing that her sister told her new hubby that she had the best recipe for maple syrup. Then he showed her that the recipe is right on the maple extract bottle. Ha ha.

Love your ingenuity ... but I live in New England, where real maple syrup is always available (maybe it isn't in Alaska?) I tried buying maple "flavored" syrup in the grocery store to save money, and my husband said, "Life is too short to buy fake maple syrup," thus creating our own slogan for splurging on certain things that make us happy!

Sigh..that is our life, because you can buy real maple syrup here in Morocco, but it costs about $15 for a teeny tiny little jar.

That syrup recipe works for other things too. For a great ice-cream topping, boil little chunks of peeled ginger root in it until the ginger is cooked through...YUMMY. Or if you can't get maple flavouring (welcome to my world; we have to bring it), you can make vanilla syrup that is almost, but not really, as good.

I've never thought of making my own syrup. Thanks for the idea. Do you know if it keeps forever like the store bought, also, can it stay in the pantry or does it need to be refrigerated? I can't wait to try this. Thanks again.

My mom made this same recipe when I was growning up in Pennsylvania. It's what we ate. Then I married a New Englander and moved to New England where they ONLY ate REAL maple syrup and anything else is blasphemy.

My inlaws moved to Virginia four years ago. My FIL won't eat the maple syrup they can get down there. He buys it up here and gets it shipped down. This is the same man that makes typically frugal people look frivilous by comparison...

My girlfriend's father, who was from New Hampshire and moved to North Dakota before she was born, did the same thing. Wierd huh?

Call it syrup, call it pancake syrup, but don't ever call it MAPLE syrup, cuz it just ain't. And besides, you're likely to cause rioting in the streets. ;)

We had pancakes this morning for breakfast and I thought I was going to have to make some more syrup when we almost ran out. I've never made it before, but when I do, I'll be sure to try this recipe out. Thanks for sharing!

I'm such a spoilsport, but nothing can ever take the place of real maple syrup! I'm sure yours tastes better than the corn-syrup-based store-bought ones. But no way, no how can it be better than the real stuff! ;)

My family actually made real birch syrup before, which is even harder than maple syrup because there's less sugar in the sugar water from the tree. When you started to say that you were posting a simple recipe, I thought, "You've got to be kidding me!" Simple, yes, but days and days of boiling sugar water isn't easy.

The recipe makes me think, though, that I could make basic syrup and flavour it with any number of extracts -- hello, dessert just got so much more versatile! :)

I've seen you make jam with real fruit...would you actually consider using "fruit flavored syrup" to make that? For the same reason, I'll stick with the real syrup from the maple tree available right at my local Costco.

Most people are not aware that almost all of the pancake syrups on the grocery shelves have no maple syrup in them at all.

I just realized you are Etsy! Our daughter requested a clutch from Etsy for Christmas (white with a bird on it). My husband ordered it and I just now made the connection. It arrived and I didn't even open the box. I wrapped in Christmas wrap and sent it off to our daughter at the same time as we sent a big box for our grandkids and her husband. It snowed in the Seattle area where she lives and messed everything up. The big box didn't arrive until the Friday the week after Christmas, though we sent it in plenty of time. The clutch was in limbo for another week and a half. For awhile my daughter thought I was kidding when I told her we would get the clutch for her if she acted surprised. Which is something we've done alot in her life, because like me, she is Picky with a capital P. When it finally arrived she was elated and showed it to me on video cam. It is georgeous. And I am just amazed that I am just now realizing that you are Etsy!!

The GOOP newsletter about a month ago had a delicious recipe for buckwheat banana pancakes that goes great with that syrup recipe (I'm a west coaster who grew up on the homemade stuff too). You should check it out!

That is the same recipe we use and everyone gave me such a hard time that it wasn't true maple syrup on my blog. Many of us don't buy the real deal though to save money and that homemade version is a fabulous substitute.

This is the same recipe my maternal grandmother used to use. She would make a pot of it and put the pot out on the table with a ladle.

When my father first had breakfast with my mother's family, he spooned the dark liquid in the pot in front of him all over his pancakes. He then realized that her whole family was looking at him amazed.

I have "always" made our syrup. It's one of those things that Mom did, so I do too. Our recipe is so simple because I don't have to think at all :) Equal parts brown sugar, white sugar and water with a dash of mapeliene. If I'm feeling extravagant I throw in an equal part of corn syrup.

My kids are 13 and 14 and I've only recently put the syrup on the table. Kept the syrup next to the stove for me to put on when I handed them their plate. Plate's full of leftover syrup would not be happening in our house.

This is the only syrup my husband will eat. His mother made it while he was growing up and now he's a little spoiled. It's not my favorite, but I've found if you add a little butter it tastes like Mrs. Butterworths!!

I don't cook, but my husband makes our family's maple syrup and it always leaves me in awe. I often don't realize that stuff on store shelves was first in old-fashioned kitchens. And I've even read Little House in the Big Woods! Many times!

What a great idea! I imagine this maple syrup tastes much better than Mrs. Butterworth's etc., which I can't abide. I live in New England, so it's true the real thing is always available, but it's *expensive*! Thanks for sharing.

Hey there-That is a fine stand in for the real thing, I'm sure. But if you are interested in actually making pure homemade Maple Syrup, follow the link below to see how to do it in your own kitchen.XOXOJocehttp://jubbyplace.blogspot.com/2008/02/happy-thursday-morning-to-you-thing.html#links

This is not maple syrup. This is maple-flavored syrup. There is a vast difference between the two. Probably as vast as the difference in cost between your recipe and purchasing actual maple syrup in Alaska, though, so all of you outside of the Maple Syrup Belt really can't be blamed for making it.

As for me and my house? We will celebrate the sugar maple tree and all of its sappy goodness.

I have to say that the real thing is to die for but I'm with you Michelle, too much money for my pocketbook! I've been using this same recipe for years & love it - soooo cheap & tastes far superior. I made a fabuloud discovery a couple of months ago - in the middle of making the syrup I found I had run out of maple flavoring. I scrambled for an alternative & ended up throwing in a cinnamon stick with a smidge of vanilla & ZOWIE it was good!

I haven't ever had it mold though it does crystallize if you don't use it. We tend to go through it pretty fast so it's not really a problem though you can always reheat it to dissolve the crystals. It doesn't need to be refrigerated though I find if it is it is slower to crystallize.